Voting machine



June 25, 1963 5;, J. CROSSLAND ETAL 3,095,142

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June 25, 1963 E. J. CROSSLAND ETAL 3,095,142

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June 25, 1963 E. J. CROSSLAND ETAL VOTING MACHINE 2 I 0 4 z W 0 a u 0 T K w W .0 0 WWW 000000000 W, mwm h A H 0 mmmm Rm w M. W 4 m i y J1me 1963 a. J. CROSSLAND ETAL 3,0 5,

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United States Patent 3,095,142 VOTING MACHINE Edward J. Crossland and Marshall P. Regan, Tulsa, and

James E. Hawkins, Broken Arrow, Okla, assiguors to Seismograph Service Corporation, Tulsa, Okla, a corporation of Delaware Filed June 28, 1961, Set. No. 120,250 13 Ciaims. (Qt. 235-54) This invention relates generally to voting machines and is particularly concerned with improvements in light, compact, easily transportable, relatively inexpensive voting machines of the general type disclosed in copcnding U.S. patent applications Serial Nos. 74,825, 74,887 and 74,888, all filed on December 9, 1960, and all assigned to the same assignee as the present invention.

Voting machines presently in use employ a voting panel divided into columns and rows providing a large number of selecting positions. At each selecting position a manually operable selector is provided for operation by the voter in making his choice. These machines require elaborate interlocks to satisfy all of the conditions which may be necessary in the various jurisdictions using voting machine. Thus, it is necessary to interlock the selectors so that in a contest where a single choice must be made between two or more candidates, it will be impossible for the voter to operate more than one selector. Moreover, in some instances the voter is required to cast votes for two or more candidates of a relatively large group and in such cases it is necessary that interlocks be provided to prevent overvoting, that is, the arrangement must be such that after the required number of choices have been made, it is impossible to operate any additional selectors. In addition, in some elections as, for example, in primary elections or in decisions on questions where only a particular class of voters, such as property holders, may participate, the machine must be set up prior to the casting of each vote so that the voter may exercise choices only on those issues for which he is eligible. interlocks must be provided to prevent the casting of votes on other issues. Thus, it is apparent that the interlock mechanism is extremely complex and adds considerably to the size and weight of the machine. Moreover, since each election presents a completely different set of interlock problems, it is obvious that the task of setting up or programming the machine is exceedingly laborious and time consuming and can be performed only by highly skilled persons. As a result of the complexity of construction, the voting machines now in use are very expensive, can be maintained and/or repaired only by skilled persons, are large, heavy and bulky so that they cannot be transported easily to and from the voting station before and after elections and, in addition, they occupy a tremendous amount of storage space between elections. In addition, the weight of these machines makes them suitable for use only in buildings which have floor areas capable of supporting them, a problem which in some instances leads to the location of a voting station at a point not centrally or conveniently located in the area served.

The inventions disclosed and claimed in the above-identified applications Serial Nos. 74,825 and 74,888 represent a considerable advance over the prior art and aiford solutions to the problems discussed by employing sliding voting selectors or keys movable to different positions indicating the voters choices. The present invention is concerned with improvements in several features of the prior voting machine including the key restoring mechanism, the voting keys and their associated detcnts, and the multipurpose extruded columns supporting the keys.

The invention has for one object the provision of a new and improved key restoring mechanism for use on voting machines of the type described above which mechanism is very reliable and substantially free from trouble.

Another object of the invention is to provide a key restoring mechanism held in key restoring position by means of a detent which is positively released to permit movement of the mechanism past a voting key, thus avoiding the possibility of malfunction in the key restoring operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved extruded column for use in voting machines of the type described above to perform a large number of functions such as supporting the voting keys, holding the detent springs, supporting the ofiice stop pins and party vote strip, holding actuating pins for the key restoring mechanism and the associated support strip for such pins, and supporting the candidate list and the covering strip therefor.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved slideable voting key for use in voting machines of the character described above.

The foregoing and other objects are realized, in accordance with the present invention, by providing a voting machine having a front panel formed by a plurality of side by side columns each supporting on its outer face a strip extending lengthwise of the column and containing a list of different issues or candidate groups to be voted upon by the voter. Each group is divided into several selecting positions listing the diflferent alternatives or candidates for that particular ofiice. The candidate groups of each column are separated by otfice stops mounted within perforations in an elongated strip extending through a slot in that column, the stops being insertable in different positions along the strip during programming to set up the machine for a particular election. A second strip extending through each column carries vertically spaced pins for actuating the key restoring mechanism, these pins also being insertable at dilferent positions during programming of the machine. Mounted for sliding movement upon the column are several voting keys or selectors there being provided in each oifice group a number of keys exactly equal to the number of votes being cast in that group. Thus, in the usual oflioe group where a single selection must be made from a group of candidates, only one voting key is provided and this key may be moved from a neutral position adjacent one of the oflice stops to a selecting position adjacent the name of the candidate selected by the voter. This key cannot be moved past the olfice stops and, hence, only one vote may be cast within the ofiice group. If more than one vote is to be cast within an oflice group, several voting keys equal in number to the total number of votes to be cast are inserted between the oifice stops defining that group. If cumulative voting is permitted, the name of each candidate will appear more than once on the candidate strip and, hence, the voter may divide his votes in any manner which he desires by giving all or several of his votes to a single candidate or by splitting them among several candidates. Each column also supports a plurality of detent springs for holding the voting keys in neutral position or in any voted position selected.

The machine is programmed by unlocking column retaining panels to permit the oflice stop strips and the key restoring strips to be removed from their associated columns and by then inserting the ofiice stops, the key restoring pins, the voting keys and the candidate strips in proper positions. The key restoring and party vote strips are then inserted back into the column w ereupon the office stop strips are attached to the party vote mechanism and the housing is then locked by assembling the retaining panels.

The machine is set up according to the voters classification either manualiy by operating a switch or automatically by means of a card which is held in position while the voter moves the voting keys to make his selections. If the automatic senser is used, means are provided for determining the voters classification from the card and for preventing removal of the card after it has been properly inserted. The sensing means renders effective only those columns containing issues upon which the voter is qualified to pass. After the selections have been made by movement of the keys, the voter starts the vote registering operation by depressing a Vote switch which starts the movement of a scanning device along the rear of the voting panel and, at the same time, begins the closing of a cover or curtain for the front panel of the machine. A counter panel at the rear of the voting machine contains a plurality of removable, plug-in type counters, one for each selecting position on the front panel containing a candidate or issue to be decided by the voter and all other positions on the counter panel are left blank. The scanning rail carries one counter actuator for each column and also associated with each column is a solenoid for rendering the actuator for that column effective. Thus, only those solenoids associated with columns containing issues on which the voter is qualified to pass are effective to condition their actautors for operating the counters and in all other columns the actuators cannot actuate the counters regardless of the position of the voting keys. As the scanning device moves along the panel, at each position where one of the voting keys in one of the columns has been moved to a selecting position, the actuater associated with that column is rendered effective to advance the counter corresponding to that selecting position and, hence, a vote is registered on the latter counter.

The scanning device takes the form of a horizontal rail which may be rocked about its longitudinal axis so that during sweep in one direction it senses the voters selections and during sweep in the opposite direction, it restores all of the voting keys to their neutral positions. When the scanning rail reaches the end of its sensing sweep, a detent thereon is engaged by a fixed stop to rock the rail to a position wherein the counter actuators cannot engage the counters during the return or key restoring sweep. When the rail is rocked, a set of key restoring cogs engage the voting keys and return them to their neutral positions. Each of these cogs is held by a detent which is released when it engages any one of a plurality of vertically spaced release pins carried by a second elongated strip on each column. The detenting and positive release for each cog provides a very reliable key restoring operation.

The invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view illustrating a voting machine characterized by the features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmenarty, sectional view taken along a line substantially corresponding to the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, sectional view taken along a line substantially corresponding to the line 3-3 of FIG. 2, assuming, of course, that the latter shows the entire construction of the voting machine;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken along a line corresponding substantially to the line 44 in FIG. 1, but shows the scanning rail at the bottom of the voting machine after it has been turned awaiting the beginning of the key restoring sweep;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, sectional view taken along a line substantially corresponding to the line 5-5 in FIG. 3 and shows the over-center spring arrangement locking the scanning rail in its counter actuating or vote sensing position;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 but shows the locking of the scanning rail in its key restoring position;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a voting key or selector which may be used in the voting machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 8 and 9 are fragmentary, sectional views showing the operation of the key restoring mechanism during the key restoring sweep of the scanning rail; and

FIGS. 10 and 11 are fragmentary, sectional views similar to FIGS. 8 and 9 but looking at the opposite side of the key restoring mechanism to show the operation and release of the detent for the key restoring cogs.

Referring now to the drawings and first to FIG. 1, one form of the voting machine of the present invention is there identified generally by the reference numeral 20 and comprises a substantially enclosed housing 21 formed by a number of panels locked together in any suitable manner as, for example, by means of interlocks as described in detail and claimed in copending, simultaneous 1y filed, application Serial No. 120,249 of Hugh H. Bright et al. assigned to the same assignee as the present invention. In the event that the voting machine breaks down or if, for any other reason, access may be desired to the interior of the housing 21, one or more of the panels may be removed by unlocking the appropriate key operated lock or locks. Moreover, access may be had by the precinct otiicials to the rear of the voting machine to read the counters after the election has been completed by unlocking and opening rear doors 22 (FIGS. 2 and 3) in the manner described in the Bright et al. application referred to above. In addition, a power panel door 23 located on the right side of the machine as viewed in FIG. 1 may be unlocked and opened to permit connection of an electrical cable to a remote voter classification unit (not shown) as described and claimed in copending application Serial No. 120,214 of Robert B. Mc- Caskill filed simultaneously herewith and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention.

The housing 21 defines an upper, generally vertically extending voting panel section identified by the reference numeral 24 and a lower power supply section 25 extending forwardly from the upper section and forming a relatively low shelf 26 through which extends a manually operated Vote switch 27. The lower section of the housing beneath the shelf 26 may also contain a party vote mechanism (not shown) of the type described and claimed in copending application Serial No. 120,251 of Stanley W. Wilcox et al. assigned to the same assignee as the present invention. In certain jurisdictions, however, party voting is not permitted, and in such cases the party vote mechanism will be omitted and since the present invention is not concerned with the latter mechanism, the party vote facilities have not been shown in the drawings.

In the form of the invention shown in the drawings, the selections made by the voter are adapted to be recorded or registered upon counters 28 located on a counter panel 29 (FIGS. 2 and 3) located at the rear of the voting machine and after the election the counter readings are recorded by the precinct officials on a tabulating sheet which is then transported to a central counting or tabulation station where the results of the election may be computed.

The front face or panel 30 of the upper section 24 is made up of a plurality of side by side vertically extending columns 30a, 30b, 300, etc. While eleven vertical columns are shown, it will be apparent that this is merely for illustration since in actual practice any desired number of columns may be used. As is best shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings, each of the columns 30a, 30b, etc. comprises an elongated member preferably formed of an extruded material such as aluminum. The extrusion is such that each column comprises a central body portion 32 having an inwardly extending, longitudinal rib 33 adjaoent a curved spring received region 31 lying alongside the rib 33 and extending longitudinally of the column.

A relatively thick edge portion 34 extends longitudinally along one side of the body portion while a transversely and longitudinally extending flange or leg 35 is formed at the other side. A flange 36 extends along the entire length of the column at the rearwardly disposed end of the leg 35. A channel 37 formed by elongated recesses 38 and 39 respectively formed in the edge portion 34 and the leg 35 receives a printed or written candidate strip 40 containing different oflices or propositions to be decided by the voter. Thus, for example, if the election is a national election, this strip may contain an omce title such as President" and therebeneath may appear the different candidates competing for this oflice. The otfice title and the candidates for the office will be referred to hereinafter as an oflice group. However, it should be understood that the term ofiice group may also refer to propositions on which a yes or no answer is required as, for example, on bond issues, constitutional amendments or the like. Each of the candidate positions or voting positions in each ofiice group will be referred to hereinafter as a selecting position. Each of the channels 37 may also receive a transparent cover 41 overlying the printed candidate strip 40 for the purpose of preventing the latter strip from being marked or damaged by the voter using the machine.

A groove 43 is provided in the rear face of the body portion 32 for receiving an elongated strip 42 having a series of vertically spaced openings 42a therein accommodating oii'ice stops 44 which divide the difierent ofiice groups of each column. Each office stop comprises a pin having a stern extending through one of the openings 42a and protruding beyond the strip 42 and rearwardly of the column. An enlarged, rectangularly shaped, flat head 44a on each office stop seats within a groove or slot 45 formed in the body portion 32 adjacent the groove 43, thereby permitting vertical movement of the strip 42 and the oifice stops along the column for a purpose which is described more fully below. To facilitate insertion of the ofi'ice stops in the proper positions along the strip 42 during programming of the voting machine to set it up for an election, there may be provided adjacent the perforations of each strip consecutive numbers running from top to bottom and corresponding to the different selecting positions along the column. The edge portion is further provided with an elongated, longitudinally extending guide rail 47 lying adjacent a pair of grooves 46a and 46b for accommodating one or more voting keys or selectors 48 which are slideable along the column to permit the voter to make his selections. In addition, each column is provided with a groove or slot 49 opening to the rear of the column for accommodating a second, perforated, elongated strip 50 carrying a plurality of detent release pins 51 located at spaced positions thcrealong for a purpose which will become evident as the description proceeds. To identify the perforations in the second strip 50 to facilitate programming, there may again be provided consecutive numbers running from top to bottom.

To consider the operation of the voting machine of the present invention, let it be assumed that the column 3% contains two oflioe groups, namely, an office group in which the voter must select between candidates A, B and C and a second oflice group in which the voter must choose between candidates D, E and P. Let it be further assumed that the voter is entitled to vote for only one of the three candidates in each ofiice group. Thus, under these conditions, the candidate strip 40 inserted into the receiving channel 37 of the column 30b will contain a first otlice title 4a: listing the title of the ollice for which the candidates A, B and C are running and, in addition, will contain beneath this first ofiice title three selecting positions respectively listing the three diiTerent candidates. Below the first ofiice group will be a second oilice title 40!) and three selecting positions listing the three different candidates competing for the second office. A pair of ofiice stops are inserted Within appropriate openings 42a above and below the first office group with the bottom stop being provided at a position adjacent to but immediately below the bottom selecting position containing the name of the candidate C. The upper stop lies above the selecting position for the candidate A and is separated therefrom by an additional or neutral position adjacent which is the oiiice title 40a. A voting key 48a is adapted to slide along the column 30b between the two stops but obviously this key cannot pass either of the stops. The key may be moved from the neutral or nonwoting position located adjacent to the upper stop to any one of the three selecting or voted positions within the first ofiice group and as the key moves along the column an outer pointer or indicator 52 thereon passes over the candidate titles A, B and C. When the key reaches the posi tion of the candidate selected by the voter, it is released. Since the voter is provided with only one key for the first oilice group, he may, of course, select only one of the three candidates and, as a consequence, it is not necessary to provide an interlock arrangement for preventing further voting in this ofiioe group. A similar situation exists in the second oflice group of the column 3% where a second voting selector or key 485 is mounted for sliding movement along the column between stops respectively located above the office title 40b and below the candidate F. The number of selecting positions available in each of the columns is, of course, determined solely by the height of the column and the space occupied by each selecting position. Obviously, any suitable number of selecting positions may be provided but in one form of the present invention, thirty such positions were used although, to simplify the illustration, a lesser numher is shown in FIG. 1. The selecting positions of the columns 30a, 30b, 30c, etc. are horizontally positions of the difierent horizontal rows on the front panel of the voting machine with each row corresponding to a transverscly extending row of counter positions on the counter panel 29.

In cases where the voter is permitted to exercise more than one choice in a particular ofiice group, as for example, in the office group of the column 30: shown in FIG. 1, several keys may be provided. In the latter oflice group, the voter is permitted to select between any two of six candidates G, H, I, J, K and L. The selection is, of course, made by moving voting keys 48c and 48d from their neutral positions adjacent the upper ofiice stop above the ofiice title 40c to selecting or voted positions adjacent the names of the candidates selected, the movement of the two keys obviously being limited by a lower stop below the candidate L. If cumulative voting is not permitted, the names of the candidates G, H, l, J, K and L will appear only once and, hence, only one vote may be cast for any one candidate. However, if cumulative voting is permissible, that is, if the voter may cast more than one of his votes for a single candidate, then the names of the candidates will be listed in each olfice group more than once. In the case illustrated in column 301' if the voter is permitted to cast both of his votes for one candidate, then the name of each candidate is listed twice and, if the voter so desires, he may cast both votes for his chosen candidate by moving both of the voting keys 48c and 48d to positions respectively adjacent the two listings of that particular candidate. After the voter has moved both of the keys 48c and 480! to a selecting position, he cannot, of course, cast additional votes for other candidates and, hence, over-voting is prevented without the use of elaborate interlocks between the voting keys.

The voting keys are held in the neutral and selecting positions by detent means 53 associated with the columns. This detent means preferably takes the form of a plurality of detents located one above the other Within a longitudinally extending channel 330 formed in the rib 33 with the detent being secured within this channel by a bent somewhat J-shaped resilient end portion 54 which snaps into the channel 33a and holds the detent firmly in position. The detents are closely packed within the channel 33a along its length in order to avoid movement of the detents longitudinally of the column. Each detent includes a laterally extending curved detent finger 55 extending outwardly from the J-shaped end portion 54 with each finger carrying at its outer end a key engaging portion 56 (FIG. 3). The curved detent finger 55 lies along the curved portion 31 of the column to provide a rigid backing for each detent. Each of the key engaging portions 56 is bent to form a key holding notch 57 between adjacent keys of the column. To this end, each detent finger extends outwardly from the J-shaped end 54 for a distance such that its key engaging portion 56 is disposed in the path of sliding movement of the voting keys on the column. The detent fingers are normally flexed or biased to occupy the position shown in FIG. 3. When a voting key is slid along the column to move over a detent finger, the finger is flexed rearwardly of the front panel 30 or upwardly as viewed in FIG. 3 and if the key is stopped either at a selecting position or at a neutral position, it seats within one of the key holding notches 57 and is thus resiliently held at the selected position with the adjacent detent fingers holding the key being disposed in their non-flexed positions. To provide a detent for each selecting position on the voting panel, the J-shaped end portion is of such height that the detent fingers are vertically spaced apart to form notches 57 which are separated by a distance corresponding to the width of one of the selecting positions and the detent fingers 55 are so oriented with respect to the stop receiving openings 42a that when a voting key is in its neutral position seated against an oflice stop 44, it is also seated Within a notch 57.

Turning now to the construction of the voting key 48 and referring particularly to FIG. 7 of the drawings, it will be observed that this key or selector may comprise a generally rectangularly shaped body member having the pointer 52 referred to above extending laterally therefrom to overlie the edge portion 34 of the column. The rail 47 on the column extends loosely through a guide channel 58 formed in the key with ribs 59 and 60' formed on the key being respectively seated within the grooves 46a and 46b of the column, thus permitting sliding movement of the key along the column but, at the same time, prohibiting removal of the key by the voter and also limiting lateral key movement. A finger grip 61 extends forwardly from the pointer 52 to facilitate movement of the key by the voter. A slot or channel 62 formed in one side of the key receives the flange 36 of the adjacent column. The latter flange prevents the voter or anyone else from inserting a tool or other object through the slot formed between adjacent columns in an attempt to disrupt the operation of the machine. The rearward portion of the voting key is provided with a curved detent engaging region 63 protruding rearwardly from the body portion of the key and shaped to seat snugly within the notches 57 and also to flex the detent fingers 55 during movement of the key along the column. The rearward portion of the key is also provided with a tooth 64 for use in restoring the key to its neutral position after the vote is cast as will be described in more detail hereinafter. Finally, the rearward portion of the key is provided with a curved surface portion 65 for engaging the counter actuating mechanism described below during the vote sensing sweep of the scanning rail.

For the purpose of permitting assembly of the keys, the ofiice stops 44 and the pins 51 on each column during programming prior to the election, a top cover 66 extending over all of the columns may be removed to permit the strips 42 and 50 to be withdrawn from the channels or grooves 43 and 49, respectively. The cover 66 comprises a pair of parallel, horizontal bars 66a and 66b (FIG. 2) interconnected by a plurality of cross braces 66c. The cross braces are detachably secured to a top frame member 67 of the voting machine housing as, for example, by means of knurled screws (not shown). When the top cover is removed to permit withdrawal of the strips 42 and 50, the oflice stops 44, the pins 51 and the keys 48 may be inserted into the proper order as the strips 42 and 50 are pushed back into their column channels. Thus, to program the column 30b described above, the candidate strip 40 and transparent cover 41 for that column are slipped into the channel 37 and the bottom stop for the lower oflice group (D, E, F) is inserted into the numbered hole in the strip 42 corresponding to the stop immediately below the position of candidate F whereupon the voting key 48b is slid onto the column by dropping it from the top. This is accomplished by placing the voting key channel 58 over the rail 47 and sliding the voting key downwardly over the detent fingers 55 and along the column. The upper stop for the lower ofli ce group is next inserted at the proper position for limiting the upward movement of the key 48b. The lowermost stop of the upper ofl'iee group is then assembled and the voting key 48a is placed on the column in the manner previously described. Finally, the upper office stop of the upper office group is placed in position to limit the upward movement of the key 48a. Pins 51 are inserted along the strip 50 at proper positions for releasing the key restoring mechanism to permit the latter to turn over the voting keys after the keys have been restored to their neutral positions during the key restoring sweep of the scanning rail as is described more fully below. After all of the columns have been properly programmed in the manner described, the cover 66 is replaced and the housing 21 is then locked to prevent access to the cover 66 during an election so that neither the voter nor the precinct officials can tamper with the settings of the office stops, the pins 51 or the strip 40 while the election is in progress.

After the voter has made his selections upon the voting panel of the machine, his choices are adapted to be recorded or registered upon the counters carried by the counter panel 29. The latter panel extends along the rear of the voting machine within the housing 21 and generally parallel to the front panel 30 and is constructed as described in detail in simultaneously filed copending application Serial No. 120.281 of Joseph L. Hull et al. assigned to the same assignee as the present invention. As is described in the latter application the panel 29 comprises a large flat plate 70 carrying a plurality of elongated, spaced apart, parallel vertical ribs 71 defining a plurality of columns 72a, 72b, etc. equal in number to the number of columns 30a, 30b, etc. of the front panel 30 used for voting. As was indicated above, the panel 29 is adapted to support a plurality of the detachable counters 28 one such counter being used for each voting or selecting position employed for voting on the front panel 30. To this end, the panel 29 has a number of counter receiving positions thereon tor receiw'ng the counters and prior to the election, counters are assembled on the panel only at receiving positions corresponding to the voting or selecting positions to be used during the election. No counters are inserted at positions corresponding to the neutral positions of the voting keys and none are mounted at positions corresponding to the vacant positions on the front panel not used for the election, thus economizing upon the number of counters required and minimizing both cost and weight. Along each column of the counter panel are provided pairs of holes 73a and 73b with the different pairs being spaced apart vertically and with each pair being adapted to receive feet 28a formed on each of the detachable plug-in counters 28. Each counter is of the type described and clamed in copending application Serial No. 120,241 of Hugh H. Bright filed simultaneously herewith and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention and, as a result, these counters will not be described in detail. Each column on the counter panel is also provided with an elongated vertical slot 74 formed in the'plate 70 for receiving counter operating ratchets 75 of all of the counters mounted in that column. Elongated detent springs 76 are carried by the panel ribs 7 1 and each has a plurality of spring fingers 77 cooperating with tabs 78 formed on opposite sides of the counter casing to hold the counters in position, each counter being held by one pair of spring fingers. Each counter is inserted into position on the counter panel by holding its casing at the top and bottom between the thumb and forefinger and by then pushing the counter past the detent spring fingers 77 until the counter ratchet 75 extends through the slot 74 with the feet 28a fitting into one pair of the openings 73:: and 73b. The detent spring fingers 77 snap over the tabs 78 to hold the counter in position.

As Was previously indicated, the precinct oilicials may read the counters at the completion of the election by unlocking and opening the rear doors 22 in the manner described in detail in oopending application Serial No. 120,- 249 referred to above. To facilitate the reading of the counters and to minimize the human errors involved in transferring the counter readings to the tabulating sheets, each column of the counter panel 29 is provided with a candidate sheet or strip 79 (FIGS. 2. and 3) listing the different candidates or issues appearing on the corresponding front panel column. Thus, the name of each candidate or issue appears directly alongside the window 80 in the casing of the particular counter used to register the votes cast for that candidate or issue. As is shown in FIG. 3, the printed strip 79 associated with each column on the counter panel is covered by a transparent strip 81 having its two side edges slipped into grooves 82 and 83 formed in the sides of the panel ribs 71. As is shown in FIG. 1, the strips 81 are locked against vertical movement within the grooves 82 and 83 after the panels of the housing 21 have been assembled by the horizontal bar 6615 of the cover bar 66 and, hence, the precinct officials cannot touch the counters or the strips 79 during the election. Each printed strip 79 is held against its associated transparent strip 81 by teats 84 formed on the counter casing. The latter teats also prevent movement of the counter away from the counter panel and, hence, they maintain the counter operating ratchets 75 in position to be operated when the scanning mechanism is moved in the vote sensing direction.

The vote'registering operation is initiated by the actuation of the manually operated Vote" switch 27 by the voter after he has completed his selections. The switch 27' is elfective to complete an electrical circuit (not shown but described in the above identified McCaskill applica tionSerial No. 120,214) to a series wound drive motor 85 (FIG. 1) having its output shaft connected through suitable reduction gearing and through a sprocket and chain arrangement 86 to drive a scanning mechanism indicated generally by the reference numeral 87. When the Vote switch 27 is operated, the scanning mechanism is located at the top of the voting machine and, hence, it is swept along the rear of the voting panel in a sensing or vote detecting direction and remains at the bottom of the panel until it is returned to the top at the start of the next voting cycle by the insertion of'a properly positioned, valid voter identification card as is disclosed in oopending McCaskill application Serial No. 120,214 referred to above. During the return sweep of the scanning mechanism 87, the voting keys 48 are all returned in a manner described in detail below irom their voted positions to their neutral positions ready for the next voters selections.

The mechanical'drive for the scanning mechanism 87 includes a horizontal output shaft 88 extending along the bottom of the machine and carrying the output sprocket of the sprocket and chain assembly 86. The shaft 88 drives a pair of sprocket and chain drives including vertically extending chains 89 and 90 located at opposite sides of the voting machine. When the scanning mechanism 87 completes its vote sensing sweep, a lower limit switch 91 is actuated by an arm 92 carried in fixed position on the chain at which time the drive to the motor 85 is interrupted. When the scanning mechanism is moved upwardly to return to its original position, an upper limit switch 93 is engaged by an arm 94 on the chain 89 to stop the motor drive. It should be apparent that by appropriate changes in design, the sensing sweep could begin at the bottom of the panel although in this case the voting keys would be in their neutral positions when they were located adjacent the lower stop of each office group.

The scanning mechanism itself comprises a horizontal rail 95 having its opposed ends mounted for turning movement upon carriage assemblies 96 and 97 respectively carried by the chains 89 and 90. The carriage assemblies are fixedly secured to the chains and are guided for vertical movement within suitable fixed guide channels provided along the sides of the voting machine housing 21, as indicated at 98 in FIG. 3.

Since the voting keys are retained in their voted positions on the front panel following completion of the vote registering operation, it is desirable, for the purpose of preserving the secrecy of the ballot, to cover the panel and the keys so that the key positions cannot be detected by the next voter using the machine. Thus, there is provided a flexible curtain or cover 99 which when retracted is stored within a curtain containing chamber 100 (FIG. 2) at the rear of the voting panel section 24 but which is extended by the downward movement of the scanning mechanism 87 to cover the front panel 30. The curtain passes out of the voting machine housing through an elongated horizontal slot 191 and has its outer end aflixed to a horizontal rod 102 supported at its opposed ends on the carriages 96 and 97. More specifically, the opposed ends of the rod 102 are alfixed to the outer ends of brackets 103 forming part of the carriages 96 and 97. Each bracket 103 extends through a vertical guide slot 104 extending along the side of the voting panel 30 as is shown in FIG. 3. The rod 102 is spaced outwardly from the panel 30 by sufiicient distance to permit the rod and the cover to pass over the voting keys 48 without moving them. As the scanning mechanism 87 moves downwardly, the cover 99 is pulled from the supply chamber 100 and is drawn over the voting panel 30 and, hence, when the scanning rail 95 reaches the bottom of its sweep, the panel is completely covered. The cover material is sufliciently rigid to prevent detection of the positions of the voting keys by feeling along the cover and, to this end, may be formed of elongated metal strips secured together in side by side relationship to form a flexible unit or, in the alternative, it may be formed by a very heavy fabric. In any event, the voter approaching the machine to cast his vote is unable to detect the voting key positions either visibly or by feeling through the cover. When the scanning mechanism 87 is raised the flexible cover 99 is retracted into the chamber 100, but during the raising of the cover the voter is still not able to determine the previous voters choices since the rod 102 and, hence, the lower end of the cover are disposed slightly below the key restoring mechanism on the scanning rail so that the voting keys are all restored to their neutral positions adjacent the upper stops of their olfice groups before these keys become visible to the voter. When the panel 30 is fully uncovered, all of the voting keys appear in their neutral positions.

For the purposes of detecting the positions of the actuated or voted keys, that is, the keys which have been moved from a neutral position to a voted position, and for actuating those counters 28 corresponding to the positions of the voted keys, the rail 95 carries a plurality of spaced apart combined key wipers and counter actuating devices 105a, 105b, 1052, there being one of these for each of the columns 30b, 36c, 30d, etc. The devices 1050, b, etc. are identical and are described in detail in the above-identified Hull et al. application. Each such device comprises an interposer arm 106 extending through a transverse bore 95a (FIG. 2) in the rail 95 and suspended upon the latter rail for limited movement longitudinally of the bore by means of leaf springs 107 and 108. More specifically, the rail is formed by a bar having a hexagonal cross section and the springs -7 and 108 are respectively mounted upon diametrically opposed flat areas on the rail periphery. The spring 107 is secured at one end to the rail 95 by means of screws 109 and at its other end seats within an annular peripheral groove 106a formed near one end of the interposer arm 106. The spring 108 is supported upon a spaced block 110 and both the spring and the block are secured to the rail in any suitable manner as, for example, by means of screws 111. A square or rectangularly shaped opening formed near one end of the spring 108- accommodates a similarly shaped area 112 of the interposer arm 106. The end of the spring 108 seats against an enlarged, generally rectangularly shaped head 113 on the interposer arm 106 to provide a spring force cooperating with that of the spring 107 to normally bias or urge the arm 106 towards the left as viewed in FIG. 2. During the vote sensing sweep of the scanning rail 95, the wiping end 113a (FIG. 2) of the head 113 is positioned to engage the curved area 65 on each of the voting keys 48 in its associated column 30a, 30b, etc. Thus, when the scanning mechanism 87 is moved downwardly along the rear of the panel 30, the interposer arm 106 is moved to the right as viewed in FIG. 2 each time that the wiping end 113a engages a voting key 48, the interposer arm being returned to the left by the springs 107 and 108 as soon as the wiping end has moved past the key. The described movement of the arm 106 is used to actuate the counters 28 since the rearward end 106!) of the arm is in engagement with a counter actuating arm 115 having a hooked end 115a which is adapted to engage and turn the ratchet 75 of any counter 28 located in a position on the panel 29 corresponding to the position of a voted key. More specifically, the actuating arm 115 is carried upon one end of a support bar 116 which is, in turn, mounted for pivotal movement about a pivot screw 117 on the rail 95. For the purpose of actuating the different columns in accordance with the voters classification, the bar 116 is adapted to be pivoted from a counter actuation position shown in FIG. 3 where the hooked end 115a is vertically aligned with the ratchets 75 to a position where the hooked end is out of alignment with and cannot engage the ratchets 75 when the scanning rail makes its vote sensing sweep. Since the operation of the voter classification mechanism for pivoting the bar 116 is fully described in the above-identified Hull et al. application, this mechanism is neither shown nor described in the present application. The pivotal movement of the support 116 is limited in each direction by a stop bar 118 secured to the rail 95. A somewhat U-shaped guide 121 (FIG. 2) is secured at its center to the bar 116 and has both of its leg portions resting against a flat area on the scanning rail 95 to prevent turning of the interposer arm 106 and its associated components.

As is best shown in FIG. 3, when the scanning rail 95 approaches the end of its vote detecting sweep, a rigid rail turning arm 125 carried in fixed position on the rail periphery near one end of the rail engages a fixed lower stop 126 mounted at the bottom of the counter panel 29 so that the continued downward movement of the scanning mechanism is effective to turn the rail 60 in a counterclockwise direction from the position shown in FIG. 2 to that shown in FIG. 4. The scanning rail is thus conditioned for the upward key restoring sweep. The turning of the rail moves the interposers 106 to positions where they cannot engage the voting keys during the return of the rail. However, when the rail 95 is turned, a plurality of key restoring devices 127a, 127b, etc., one for each of the counter actuating devices 1050, 105b, etc., are positioned to engage the tooth 64 on each voting key as the rail is raised. One such key restoring device is provided for each column containing voting keys and each device is effective to lift all of the voting keys in its associated column from the detent fingers 55 holding them in the voted positions and to slide each key upwardly along the column until it is returned to its neutral position where its upward movement is limited by one of the ofiice stops 44. Each key restoring device includes a toothed cog 128 mounted for rotation upon an L-shaped bracket 129 secured to the rail 95, the cog being disposed to engage the tooth 64 on the voting keys of its column when the scanning mechanism 87 is in its key restoring position. The cog 128 is provided with any desired number of teeth provided only that the interdental spaces between adjacent teeth is sufficient to permit the cog to turn over the tooth 64 in the manner described below. Formed integral with each cog is a toothed detent Wheel 130 cooperating with a detent 131 to positively lock the cog in position while the latter is performing its key lifting or restoring function. The detent wheel is provided with a number of teeth equal to the number of teeth on the cog 128 and is shaped as shown in FIG. 10. Thus, the detent wheel includes a detent receiving recess adjacent each tooth and a sloping portion extending from the recess to the next tooth. The detent 131 comprises a pawl 132 which extends transversely from a stub shaft 133 carried by the bracket 129 and which has its free end engaging the periphery of the detent wheel 130. The shaft 133 also supports a detent release arm 134 disposed on the opposite side of the bracket from the pawl 132 and comprising a generally rectangularly shaped body having a pair of fingers 137 and 137a projecting outwardly from diametrically opposed corners as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. The finger 137a has an aperture therein for receiving one end of a coil spring 135 which has its other end inserted through an opening in and wrapped partially around a post 136 on the bracket 129 thus biasing the release arm and its shaft 133 in a direction to hold the pawl in engagement with the detent wheel 130. The finger 137 is disposed to successively engage all of the release pins 51 of the associated column during the key restoring sweep of the scanning mechanism 87. The detents 131 of the different key restoring devices 127a, 127b, etc. operate independently of each other and each is efiective to prevent turning of its associated cog 128 until it is released by engagement of the trip finger 137 with one of the pins 51. Thus, the positions of the release pins 51 along the columns determine when the cogs 128 will be released to turn. When the scanning rail 95 is raised at the start of the key restoring sweep, all of the cogs 128 will be held against rotation in the position shown in FIG. 4 with one of the cog teeth extending substantially horizontally towards the front panel 30 and in position to engage the tooth 64 on the lowermost voting key in the associated column. Thus, when the latter key is engaged by the horizontal cog tooth, the continued upward movement of the rail 95 is effective to lift the key and this action occurs along each column although obviously the lowermost voting keys of the different columns are not likely to be located in the same voted positions and, as a result, the key restoring devices 127a, 1276, etc. usually engage these lowermost keys at different times. In any event, each key is lifted until it reaches its neutral position shown in FIG. 8 where it will rest either against one of the office stops 44 or against another key. In this connection, the keys of all of the office groups shown in FIG. 1 seat against an office stop 44 when in their neutral positions except for the lowermost key of the ofiice group 400 which rests against another key which is, in turn, seated against an offioe stop. The release pins 51 are disposed along the column at positions corresponding to the neutral positions of the keys and, hence, when each key reaches its neutral position, as is shown in FIG. 10, the trip finger 137 of its associated key restoring device engages a pin 51 whereupon the release arm 134 and its 13 shaft 133 are pivoted in a clockwise direction to lift the pawl 132 away from the detent wheel 130, thus permitting the cog 128 to turn over the tooth 64 on the voting key to pass from the position shown in FIG. 8 to that shown in FIG. 9. As soon as the trip finger 137 rides over the release pin 51, the spring 135 again pivots the release arm 134 and the pawl 132 to force the latter against the periphery of the detent wheel as shown in FIG. 10, thus limiting the turning of the cog 128 to one step and again bringing a tooth on the latter cog into position to engage the next key in the column. In the the scanning rail. After each voting key has been raised to seat against its stop (or against another key in neutral into the coiled spring 154 which seats against the heads 156a and 157:: and,

the pin I52 and the rail is thus locked in position. When the arm 125 engages the stop 126 to turn the rail, the spring 154 is compressed until the rail turn-s beyond the point Where the spring is aligned with the apex formed between the fiat areas 161 and 153 described above and considering a general election where all of the voting panel columns are active, it will be observed that the scanning rail is at the bottom of the votring panel when the voter approaches the machine and when the machine is activated either manually or by insertion of a card as described in the above-identified McCaskill application. When a valid card is properly inserted, the scanning mechanism moves upwardly to re turn all of the voting keys to their neutral or non-voting positions adjacent the upper stops of the ofiice group and to raise the cover 99. Near the completion of the key restoring sweep, the arm 125 strikes the post 139 to turn the rail 95 to its vote sensing position shown in FIG. 2 where the key restoring devices 127a, 127b, etc. cannot engage the keys but where the counter actuating devices 105a, 105b, etc. are disposed to engage the keys. After the rail has been turned, the upper limit switch 93 is engaged by the finger 94 to terminate the drive to the motor 85, thus stopping the rail at the top of the voting machine. The voter then makes his selections on the voting panel by operation of the voting keys 48 by manually siiding the voting keys from their neutral positions to the desired selecting positions. Until the voter actuates the Vote switch 27, he is free to alter his selections in any desired manner. As soon as the voter is satisfied with his selections he actuates the switch 27 to complete a circuit to the electric motor 85, thus driving the chains 89 and in a direction to begin the downward or vote sensing sweep of the scanning mechanism 87 and, at the same time, lowering the cover 99 over the front panel of the voting machine.

When the scanning mechanism 87 sweeps downwardly, it senses or detects the voting keys selected by the voter and vactuates the corresponding counters 28 on the counter panel 29. If the voting. keys are in their neutral position to indicate either that the voter did not desire to cast his vote for any of the candidates in that particular oilice group or, of course, that he inadvertently neglected to make a selection, no votes are registered since no counters 28 are located on the counter panel 29 at positions corresponding to the neutral positions of the voting keys. All counters corresponding to voted positions on the front panel are, of course, actuated and advanced one step by engagement of the hooks 1150 with their ratchets 75 during the vote sensing sweep. The operation then continues until the scanning mechanism 87 approaches the end of its vote sensing sweep where the end portions 116a of all the counter actuators engage the cams 147 to shift all of the counter actuators to their neutral or non-actuating positions. Further movement of the scanning mechanism causes the arm 125 to engage the stop 126 at the bottom of the counter panel 29 thus turning the rail to its key restoring position. The lower remote voter classification unit for receiving the identification card of the next succeeding voter as is described in detail in the McCaskill application referred to above. When the rail 5 is turned at the bottom of the scanning sweep, the counter actuators a, 105b, etc. are moved to positions where they cannot engage the ratchets 75 of the counters, thereby to prevent operation of the counters during the return or key restoring sweep of the scanning nail.

eration and may be constructed Elaborate mechanical interlocks between the voting selectors are unnecessary and, hence, the weight and size of the machine is considerably less than that of voting machines presently in use. The key restoring mechanism is positive and reliable in operation and, hence, avoids the possibility that the voting keys will not be restored to neutral before the voter makes his selections. The use of specially constructed voting keys having different portions for respectively performing a number of different functions contributes to the simplicity of the machine. Moreover, the unique construction of the columns to perform several different functions, among which are the supporting of the ofiice stops and strips, the supporting of the release pins and strips, the supporting of the detents and voting keys, and the mounting of the candidate strips and transparent covers therefor, also gives rise to advantages in reducing the size, weight and cost of the machine. The machine is very easy to set up for both primary and general elections and, hence, the election officials can be readily instructed as to the programming procedure to be followed.

While a particular embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be apparent that many modifications will readily occur to those skilled in this art and it is, therefore, contemplated by the appended claims to cover any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a voting machine of the type employing a voting panel made up of a number of different side by side columns, a plurality of office stops spaced along each column for dividing each column into dilterent ofiice groups, a plurality of selectors mounted for manual sliding movement along each column from a neutral position adjacent one of the stops to any desired one of a plurality of selecting positions within each office group, there being at least one selector for each office group, scanning means including an elongated rail movable along said columns in one direction to determine each selecting position to which a selector has been moved, said scanning means being movable along said columns in a reverse direction and including selector restoring means for returning each of said selectors from its selecting position to its neutral position when said scanning means is moved in said reverse direction, the improvement which comprises a plurality of spaced apart, restoring cogs on said rail, forming part of said selector restoring means and positioned to respectively engage the selectors of the ditierent columns during the reverse movement of the scanning means, locking means normally preventing rotation of said cogs during the reverse movement of said scanning means so that the cogs are efiective to move the selectors back to their neutral positions, and release means spaced along each column for releasing said locking means to permit turning of said cogs over said selectors when the latter have reached their neutral positions.

2. In a voting machine of the type employing a voting panel made up of a number of different side by side columns, a plurality of office stops spaced along each column for dividing each column into ditierent office groups, a plurality of selectors mounted for manual sliding movement along each column from a neutral position adjacent one of the stops to any desired one of a plurality of selecting positions within each oflice group, there being at least one selector for each office group, scanning means including an elongated rail movable along said columns in one direction to determine each selecting position to which a selector has been moved, said scanning means being movable along said columns in a reverse direction and including selector restoring means for returning each of said selectors from its selecting position to its neutral position when said scanning means is moved in said reverse direction, the improvement which comprises a plurality of spaced apart, restoring cogs on said rail, forming part of said selector restoring means and positioned to respectively engage the selectors of the different columns during the reverse movement of the scanning means, locking means normally preventing rotation of said cogs during the reverse movement of said scanning means so that the cogs are efiective to move the selectors back to P '0 their neutral positions, a plurality of release pins spaced along each column for engaging said locking means to release said cogs for turning whenever such a pin is encountered, thereby to permit said cogs to turn over said selectors when the latter have reached their neutral positions, said release pins being insertable at difierent positions along each column during programming of the machine for the election.

3. In a voting machine, the combination of a voting panel made up of a number of different side by side columns, a plurality of office stops spaced along each column for dividing each column into different office groups, a plurality of selectors mounted for manual sliding movement along each column from a neutral position adjacent one of the stops to any desired one of a plurality of selecting positions within each oflice group, there being at least one selector for each office group, each selector having a restoring tooth thereon, scanning means including an elongated rail movable along said columns in one direction to determine each selecting position to which a selector has been moved, said scanning means being movable along said columns in a reverse dirwtion and including selector restoring means for returning each of said selectors from its selecting position to its neutral position when said scanning means is moved in said reverse direction, said selector restoring means including a plurality of spaced apart, toothed restoring cogs, one for each column, on said rail and positioned to respectively engage the restoring tooth of each selector in its associated column during the reverse movement of the scanning means, locking means normally preventing rotation of said cogs during the reverse movement of said scanning means so that the cogs are efiective to move the selectors back to their neutral positions, and release means spaced along each column for releasing said locking means to permit turning of each cog over the tooth of each selector when the latter has reached its neutral position.

4. In a voting machine, the combination of a voting panel made up of a number of difierent side by side columns, a plurality of ofiice stops spaced along each column for dividing each column into diflerent otfice groups; a plurality of selectors mounted for manual sliding movement along each column from a neutral position adjacent one of the stops to any desired one of a plurality of selecting positions within each ofiice group, there being at least one selector for each office group, each selector having a restoring tooth thereon, scanning means including an elongated rail movable along said columns in one direction to determine each selecting position to which a selector has been moved, said scanning means being movable along said columns in a reverse direction and including selector restoring means for returning each of said selectors from its selecting position to its neutral position when said scanning means is moved in said reverse direction, said selector restoring means including a plurality of spaced apart, toothed restoring cogs, one for each column, on said rail and positioned to respectively engage the tooth of each selector in its associated column during the reverse movement of the scanning means, a plurality of locking pawls, one for each cog, pivotally mounted on said rail and normally preventing rotation of its associated cog during the reverse movement of said scanning means so that all of the cogs are effective to move the selectors back to their neutral positions, a perforated pin carrying strip slideable along each column and carrying a plurality of spaced release pins each positioned to engage the pawl associated with that column as the scanning moves in said reverse direction, said pins being etfective to pivot said pawls to release said cogs so that the latter turn over the tooth of each selector when the latter has reached its neutral position.

5. In a voting machine, the combination of a panel made up of a plurality of side by side elongated columns, each column having means defining a first channel for receiving a first strip listing the difierent issues to be voted upon, each column further including a second channel for receiving a second strip carrying a plurality of spaced apart stops, a third channel in each column for receiving a third strip carrying a plurality of spaced apart pins, adjacent columns of said panel cooperating to define a slot for receiving a plurality of voting selectors mounted for sliding movement therealong to selecting positions indicating the voters choices on the different issues. a fourth channel in each column for receiving a plurality of detent springs for holding said selectors in the dilferent positions along the column.

6. In a voting machine, the combination of a panel made up of a plurality of side by side elongated columns, each column having means defining a first channel opening towards the front of said panel for receiving a first strip listing the different issues to be voted upon, each column further including a second channel opening towards the rear of the panel for receiving a second strip carrying a plurality of spaced apart release pins, adjacent columns of said panel cooperating to define a slot for receiving a plurality of voting selectors mounted for sliding movement therealong to selecting positions indicating the voters choices on the different issues, a fourth channel in each column opening towards the rear of said panel for receiving a plurality of detent springs for holding said selectors in the different positions along the column.

7. In a voting machine, the combination of a panel made up of a plurality of side by side elongated columns, each column having means defining a first channel opening towards the front of said panel for receiving a first strip listing the different issues to be voted upon, each column further including a second channel opening towards the rear of the panel for receiving a second strip carrying a plurality of spaced apart release pins, and adjacent columns of said panel cooperating to define a slot for receiving a plurality of voting selectors each mounted for sliding movement therealong between said stops to selecting positions indicating the voters choices on the difierent issues.

8. In a voting machine, the combination of a panel made up of a plurality of side by side elongated columns, each column having means defining a first channel for receiving a first strip listing the different issues to be voted upon, each column further including a second channel for receiving a second strip carrying a plurality of spaced apart stops, a third channel in each column for receiving a third strip carrying a plurality of spaced apart pins, means on each column for receiving at least one voting selector mounted for sliding movement therealong to selecting positions indicating the voters choices on the different issues, a fourth channel in each column for receiving a plurality of detent springs for holding said selectors in the diiferent positions along the column.

9. In a voting machine, the combination of a panel made up of a plurality of side by side elongated columns, each column having means defining a first channel opening towards the front of said panel for receiving a first strip listing the diilerent issues to be voted upon, each column further including a second channel opening towards the rear of the panel for receiving a second strip carrying a plurality of spaced apart stops, each column including a third channel opening rearwardly of the panel for receiving a third strip carrying a plurality of spaced release pins, adjacent columns of said panel cooperating to define a slot for receiving a plurality of voting selectors mounted for sliding movement therealong to selecting positions indicating the voters choices on the different issues, a fourth channel in each column opening towards the rear of said panel for receiving a plurality of detent springs for holding said selectors in the different positions along the column.

10. In a voting machine, the combination of a panel made up of a plurality of side by side elongated columns, each column having means defining a first channel opening towards the front of said panel for receiving a first strip listing the different issues to be voted upon, each column further including a second channel opening towards the rear of the panel for receiving a second strip carrying a plurality of spaced apart stops, each column including a third channel opening rearwardly of the panel for receiving a third strip carrying a plurality of spaced release pins, and adjacent columns of said panel cooperating to define a slot for receiving a plurality of voting selectors each mounted for sliding movement therealong between said stops to selecting positions indicating the voters choices on the different issues.

11. In a voting machine of the type employing a voting panel made up of a number of different side by side columns, a plurality of olfice stops spaced along each column for dividing each column into different office groups, a plurality of selectors mounted for manual sliding movement along each column from a neutral position adjacent one of the stops to any desired one of a plurality of selecting positions within each otfice group, there being at least one selector for each office group, scanning means including an elongated rail movable along said columns in one direction to determine each selecting position to which a selector has been moved, said scanning means being movable along said columns in a reverse direction and including selector restoring means for returning each of said selectors from its selecting position to its neutral position when said scanning means is moved in said reverse direction, the improvement which comprises a plurality of selector restoring devices spaced apart longitudinally of the rail, forming a part of said selector restoring means, and positioned to respectively engage the selectors of the dilferent columns during the reverse movement of the scanning means, locking means normally rendering said devices effective to positively hold said selectors during the reverse movement of said scanning means so that the devices are effective to move the selectors back to their neutral positions, and release means spaced along each column for releasing said locking means to permit movement of the scanning means past the selectors when the latter have reached their neutral positions. Mail 12. The apparatus defined by claim ll wherein said release means is disposed adjacent one of said neutral positions and coacts with the locking device of its associated column to release that locking device when the scanning means restores a selector to the adjacent neutral position.

13. The apparatus defined by claim 12 wherein said release means comprises an elongated strip mounted on each column and carrying a plurality of spaced apart, fixed release pins each engaging the locking means of the associated column as the scanning means moves in the reverse direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 628,032 Phelps July 4, 1899 783,156 Taiscy Feb. 21, 1905 2,656,787 Koch Oct. 27, 1953 2,707,077 Wise Apr. 26, 1955 

1. IN A VOTING MACHINE OF THE TYPE EMPLOYING A VOTING PANEL MADE UP OF A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT SIDE BY SIDE COLUMNS, A PLURALITY OF OFFICE STOPS SPACED ALONG EACH COLUMN FOR DIVIDING EACH COLUMN INTO DIFFERENT OFFICE GROUPS, A PLURALITY OF SELECTORS MOUNTED FOR MANUAL SLIDING MOVEMENT ALONG EACH COLUMN FROM A NEUTRAL POSITION ADJACENT ONE OF THE STOPS TO ANY DESIRED ONE OF A PLURALITY OF SELECTING POSITIONS WITHIN EACH OFFICE GROUP, THERE BEING AT LEAST ONE SELECTOR FOR EACH OFFICE GROUP, SCANNING MEANS INCLUDING AN ELONGATED RAIL MOVABLE ALONG SAID COLUMNS IN ONE DIRECTION TO DETERMINE EACH SELECTING POSITION TO WHICH A SELECTOR HAS BEEN MOVED, SAID SCANNING MEANS BEING MOVABLE ALONG SAID COLUMNS IN A REVERSE DIRECTION AND INCLUDING SELECTOR RESTORING MEANS FOR RETURNING EACH OF SAID SELECTORS FROM ITS SELECTING POSITION TO ITS NEUTRAL POSITION WHEN SAID SCANNING MEANS IS MOVED IN SAID REVERSE DIRECTION, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES A PLURALITY OF SPACED APART, RESTORING COGS ON SAID RAIL, FORMING PART OF SAID SELECTOR RESTORING MEANS AND POSITIONED TO RESPECTIVELY ENGAGE THE SELECTORS OF THE DIFFERENT COLUMNS DURING THE REVERSE MOVEMENT OF THE SCANNING MEANS, LOCKING MEANS NORMALLY PREVENTING ROTATION OF SAID COGS DURING THE REVERSE MOVEMENT OF SAID SCANNING MEANS SO THAT THE COGS ARE EFFECTIVE TO MOVE THE SELECTORS BACK TO THEIR NEUTRAL POSITIONS, AND RELEASE MEANS SPACED ALONG EACH COLUMN FOR RELEASING SAID LOCKING MEANS TO PERMIT TURNING OF SAID COGS OVER SAID SELECTORS WHEN THE LATTER HAVE REACHED THEIR NEUTRAL POSITIONS. 